Tandem control for presses



l m 23, 1936. A. F. HANNEY i TANDEM CONTROL FOVR PRESSES Filed April 5 Susu f2.5, a. r

Patented June 23, 1936 Y Y l 2,045,352 y Y t TANpEM CONTROL Fon PRESSES Angus F, Hanney, Norwood, Ohio, assignor to The American Laundry Machinery Company,

Norwood, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 1935, Serial No.' 14,785 9 Claims. (Cl. 68,-9)

This invention relates to an improvement in ed to -coact with the bed. The head is biased control mechanism for pressing machines of the toward open position as shown in press B by a type generally used in laundry and garment spring I4 connected between the rear end of work. More particularly the invention relates the head lever and the frame. The head is moved 5 to the interconnection of fthe control vmech-V into pressing engagement with the bed by means anisms of two machines and to a tandem arofa toggle I5 which is moved from broken torangement of the controls. Y ward straightened position to close the head The term tandem control is generally applied upon the bed. For so moving the toggle a uid to two pressing machines attended by one opactuated cylinder and piston motor I6 is pro- UNITED.v STATES PATENT OFFICE.

10 erator and with the control mechanism so arvidedhaving a piston I'I whose piston rod I8 10 ranged that while performing a closing operais connected vto the toggle knuckle. Motive fluid tion at one machine' the remote machine may is supplied to motor I6 through conduit I9, check be opened so as to be ready for the operator to valve 20, port 2|, valve casing 22 and passage remove the nished work when she 'arrives 23.` Valve casing22 houses a reciprocating pisthere, ton valve 24 havinga stem25 extending rear- 15 My invention provides'control mechanism for wardly through the valve casing. A spring 26 two presses wherein the usual operationof clos- 'normally biases the valve toward the front of ing one automatically produces opening Iof'the lthe PIGSS'aS hOWn in DICSS B, Which establishes other. The mechanism is so arranged that an ommllniatiOn from mOOI I6 UhlOllgh passage additional Operation is necessary at the Vonev press 23 to exhaust port 21 so that motor I6 is normal- 2o to prevent opening of the other. ly open to atmosphere. When motive fluid is My invention provides two pressing machines, Supplied `through conduit I9 from a suitable each havingl power means for closing the press source, piston valve 24 moves to the position and compressing a fluid, and means for using shown in' press A thus closing the exhaust port 25 fluid compressed at one press forproducing a and permitting pressure fluid to enter motor I6 25 controloperationat the other press. j through passage 23 110V @aU-Se a WOTkIlg Stroke My invention also provides two. 'pressing ma.'- -of the motor. Moving in unison with the piston Vchines each having a cylinder and piston motor rod I8 is a cam 2B having a depressed portion for producing closing movementy and a uidfac- 29 `in which afollOWeI 30 iS adapted 110 dIOD 30 tuated release means for' producing""` opening biased by a spring 3Ia. when the press is substan- 30y movement, means for' compressing iluid by presstially completely closed. This establishes a fluid closing operation of the motor of' one press, and Vmaintaining circuit which'maintains the press means foy using that compressed fluid to ac- Vclosed'undervpressura The connections for estuate the release means of the other press. tablishing this circuit comprise a bellcrank 3|,

Other novel' features andadvantages will apone arm of which carries the follower 30 and 35 pear in the accompanying specification takenin an upstanding arm 32 of which engages the connection with the drawing; l 'stem 33 of av normally closed inlet valve 34 which The drawing represents a pairof pressing mais housed ina valve casing 35' and supplied with Chinesin endV elevation and partly insection 'motive fluid through a suitablecondut 36. This 4o with the control( mechanismv diagrammatically Vmechanism opens valve 34 when follower 30 40 arranged. l drops into the depressed portion of the cam 2B For ease of description lI have designated the and permits motive'fluid to pass through Vconduit two pressing machines A and B respectively'and 31 to passage 23 which serves to retain valve 24 since they are alike one only will be Adescribed in theI position shown on press A and holds pisand similar numerals will be applied to the other ton I'Iat the outermost point of its stroke so 45 with the prime suix.' that the press remains closed under pressure.

For illustrative purpose kI Ahave shown my in- The releaseV mechanism comprises a treadle 38 vention as applied to pressing machines of the pivotally mounted Von VVthe frame and biased in type illustrated, described and claimed in the coits upward position by a spring 39. The treadle 5o pending application of John P. Singiser, Ser. No. is connected by a link 40 with a bellcrank 4I 50 642,053, led November 10, 1932. This'copend- Vwhich has an upstanding arm 42 which lies oping application discloses a frame I0 supporting posite the valve stem 25 and in position to abut a stationary pressing bed: Il and pivotally supand move the'same upon depression o'f the porting also on a bracket,Y of the frame afhead treadle and rotation of bellcrank 4I in ja clocklever I2 which carries a pressing head I3v adapt- "wise direction'as seen. at press A. At the same 55 time, the arm 42 of the bellcrank is adapted to engage a projection 43 on bellcrank 3| to rotate the bellcrank in a clockwise direction about its pvot thus permitting valve 34 to return to its normally closed position under the influence of its spring. This cuts off the supply of motive uid to motor I6 and opens the same to exhaust port 21 whereupon spring I4 is effective to reopen the press.

The purpose of check valve 20 is to prevent back flow through conduit I9 after the press fis fully closed and the maintaining circuit is established.

Power means is provided to actuate the treadlle 38 and the form shown comprises a small .duid

38 so as to move the treadle in a clockwise direction about its pivot. The piston is biased 'toward inoperative position by a spring and is supplied 'with motive fluid through a suitable conduit 45.

piston 46 'is suiciently loose-'fitting to permit its return Vmovement by 'its 'biasing spring.

' My improvement comprises a novel interconnection of the control mechanism for two such presses as shown in the drawing. For the supply of motive fluid to mo'tor 'I'6 I provide two normally closed inlet valves v50 and 5I in series Witha supply conduit 52 communicating with the main `conduit 36 and a conduit '5'3 connecting the two valves 'in series. Valve '50 'is actuated by manual '514 andvalve 5I by manual '55 and it will be evident that actuation of both manuals vsimultaneously will supply motive 'uid 'to conduit I9 and motor AI6 as previously described.

Means is provided whereby lthe normal 'actua- 'tion of the control means for' press A energizes the power actuator for-the release means yofpress B. 'This comprises the arrangement o'f the rear end o'f the cylinder and piston motor I5 lin a manner `to compress air or other uid before the advancing piston during the early .portion `of fthe fpres's closing stroke vof piston I'I.. To this end 'the piston rod 'I' 'and the portion of cam ba-r .28 'of larger se'c'tion'slidingly 4engage vsuitable openings vin the cylinder head 55, .the opening for 'accommodating the cam bar lbeing designated 5-'I. with Y'the `parts in the position shown at press VB the rear end of vthe cylinder is .substantially fluid tight and .the advancing Ipiston Ywill compress air therein. A conduit 58 establishes communication from the rear end of the cylinder o'f motor 'I6 to the release motor 45 at the other Lpres's. n

In the normal operation of the machines vA fandB in Vtandem the press VA being .open and thepress B closed, the ynperator would arrange the lay of the work upon .the bed 'II .,and actua'temanuals 54 and 55. This would supply motive fluid Ato motor I6 which would close the .pressas already described and during the first fp'ortion of the press closing ystroke `of .piston IfI, fluid compressed at the rear end .of I--theo'ylinder would travel through conduit 58 to motor 45 and Vcause a stroke of piston `4'6"whic`h would cause vpress opening movement of machine B as Val- Yreadydescribed. This compressed fluid trapped 'behind piston I'I causes a snubbing Vaction Vof ythe :press closing movement. During Athe latter .porftion of 'the stroke of `piston Ill the Yreduced portion 29 of lcam bar v2'8 enters opening 5] in the frea'r cylinder head so that this opening` is now 'only partially closed and the compressed fluid 4behindlpiston I'I Vis enabled to escape'to the alt- 'mosphere With the releaseofthe pressure l`in any preferred position but a very eiicient arrangement is thelocation of manual 6I adjacent one 'of the manuals 54 or 55 so as to be grasped 7s,irnufl-taneously by one hand of the operator. In the drawing, manual 6I is located adjacent manual 55 and upon movement of the manuals 54 and 55 in press closing direction manual 6I may 'begra'spedto open valve 6U. This provides suioient release for the air compressed before the advancing piston II so that insuflcient presmeans being `arranged to compress fluid during 'its 'press-'operating motion, a liuid actuated device at each press for causing operation thereof, andmea'n's for lconducting said iiuid Acompressed at' 'one press'to said device at the other press, whereby operation of one press causes f simulta'ne'ous'operation of the other press.

2. Two .independently operable presses arranged'ior 'tandem operation by a 'single operalto'r, 'each press 'having a pair o'f coacting relatively movable 'pressing members', a 'cylinder and piston motor at each press .for relatively mov- 'in'gsaid members for a pressing operation, said motor being arranged to compress fluid by a stroke o'f its piston, a duid actuated device at each ypress for causing operation thereof., and means for conducting said lfluid compressed at one ,press to said device .at the other press, whereby operation of one .press .causes simultaneous operationof the other press.

' '3. In combination, two independently operable presses'arranged for .tandem operation by a single operator, a cylinder .and .piston motor 'for closing ,each press, each motor being `arranged to Vcompress Huid lbyfa .press-.closing .stroke vof its piston, iiuid actuated releaseY means for causing opening of each press, control means for each motor., and conduit .means 'for vconducting `said compressed Yfluidateach Ypress -to .the releasemeans of the other press. 's

4.111" combination, two independently operable .presses `arranged for .tandem operation .b y a Asingle operator, a. cylinder yand piston Vmotor for Yclosing -each press, .each .motor being arranged 4.normally Lto .compress vfluid .by .a lpress-.closing stroke ci 'its piston, control means for each Arnotor, y:duid actuated release .means 'for causing .opening of each press,V conduit means for conducting .said `compressed fluid at `each press to the release means of .the other press, and `operator controlled means at each press fio-r prevent- .ing-compression .of iiuid vby .said .piston stroke.

' v.5. Incombination, two independently operable presses arranged for tandem .operation :by Aa operator, `a cylinder and .piston Ymotor for closing each press. each motor being arranged fl O normally to compress fluid by a press-closing stroke of its piston, control means for each motor including two spaced safety manuals, fluid actuated release means for causing openingV of each press, conduit means for conducting said compressed fluid at each press to the release means of the other press, and operator controlled means at each press for preventing compression of iluid by said piston stroke, said last named means including a control member grouped with one of said manuals.V

6. In combination, two independently operable presses arranged for tandem operation by a single operator, a cylinder and piston motor for .closing each press, each motor being arranged to compress fluid by a press-closing stroke of the piston, fluid actuated release means for causing opening of each press, control means for each motor, conduit means for conducting said compressed fluid at each press to the release means of the other press, a. normally closed eX- haust valve in each of said conduit means, and operator-controlled means for opening each of said valves to release said compressed fluid.

V'7. In combination, two independently operable presses positioned for tandem operation byy one operator, a. cylinder and piston motor for closing each press, fluid means for advancing eachY piston for a press-closing operation, each motor being arranged t0 trap and compress iluid in said motor in advance of its piston, fluid actuated release means for causing opening of each press, conduits for conducting said compressed fluid from each motor at one of said presses to the release means oi the other of said presses, and means for opening each of said conduits to atmosphere.

8. In combination, two independently operable presses arranged for tandem operation by a single operator, each having a pair of coacting pressing members one of which is movable toward and from the other to close and open the press, a cylinder and piston motor having its piston rod operatively connected to the movable pressing member to move it to press-closed position, the end of said cylinder opposite the Inotive end being substantially air tight to trap and compress air before Vthe advancing piston, fluid actuated release means for opening each press, a conduit adapted to conduct compressed air from the motor of each press to the release means of the other press, a cam bar on each motor movable with and substantially parallel to the piston rod thereof, said cam bar having a reduced section at its end nearer the piston and at its other end having a substantially air tight sliding fit in an opening through the cylinder head, maintaining means for holding each press closed, and said maintaining means having an operative connection with a follower adapted to engage said reduced cam bar section upon pressclosing movement of said motor sufficient to s move said pressing members to safe-closed position, whereby, during a press-closing stroke of a Vmotor at each press, air is first compressed ahead of its advancing piston for snubbing the closing movement of that press and for actuating release means at the other press, and during the latter part of the piston stroke the compressed air is released by said reduced cam bar section entering said opening.

9. Two ranged for tandem operation by a single operator, each press having a pair of coacting relatively movable pressing members, power means at each press for relatively moving said members to close the press, each of said power means being arranged to compress fluid during its pressclosing motion, release means for causing opening of each press, a fluid actuator for each release means, and conduit means for conducting said compressed iluid at each press to the release actuator of the other press.

ANGUS F. HANNEY.

independently operable presses ar- 

